


The Pack

by Batafuraievans



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-29
Updated: 2013-07-04
Packaged: 2017-12-16 13:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/862608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Batafuraievans/pseuds/Batafuraievans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU Post season one. Stiles gets in a car crash, the pack's their for him. After that, who knows where this crazy story will go. I'm not quite sure where this is going, so hold onto your hat, this is gonna be a crazy ADHD ride!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Just Like His Mother

Stiles awoke from yet another Peter filled nightmare. He hadn’t slept well since that night a month ago. The nightmares always came. This was worse than when his mother had died.

Scott should have known something was wrong. He normally would have. But with Lydia and Jackson now wolves, and him still dating Allison, he hardly had time for school.

Derek was busy working out a peace agreement with the Argents and training the two new werewolves. Even though he had declared Stiles pack, Stiles didn’t feel comfortable talking to him.

Lydia was just starting to talk to him. He didn’t want to appear weak in front of her.

Jackson and Stiles were only now cordial with each other, years of animosity not yet behind them.

Allison had new liaison-y duties to attend to (reporting in between the pack and her family), along with helping train the pack, and spending time with Scott.

But now here Stiles was, hardly sleeping, rarely eating, and not coping at all with what he had to do. He had assisted in murder. Yes, he tried to rationalize it as necessary to kill Peter Hale. But a part of him was sickened by the death. He may have been scared to death of the man…monster, and yes to save his, everyone he loved, and several he hated lives, it was necessary, but it didn’t make it feel right. The last thing his mother had told him was that human life is sacred, and never should it be his choice to end another’s.

He laid in bed for hours, feeling guilty. Then his alarm went off. He got up and got ready for school. He got into his jeep and started driving to school. 

Unknown to Stiles, each of his friends were waiting for Stiles to speak up. They all knew something was wrong, but they wanted to let Stiles come to them first, not try to force him to talk. It didn’t help that Stiles was very good at pretending nothing was wrong. His friends (even Jackson) were worried about him.

Sheriff Stilinski had had a late shift that night. He had only gotten in at 4 am. So he was slightly drowsy when he got a call at 7:30. He answered, “Stilinski here.” One of his deputies said at the other end, “Your son has been in a car accident. He is currently in route to the hospital.”

The sheriff jumped out of bed and asked, terrified of the answer, “How bad?”

The deputy responded, “The car was wrapped around a tree off the road. It looks like he fell asleep while driving.”

The sheriff rushed to get dressed and drove over to the hospital. He was thankful that Mrs McCall, a long-time friend of his and the mother of his son’s best friend, was on duty that morning. Normally, she was one of the most professional nurses ever. Today, she dropped that and ran over to the Sheriff and gave him a hug.

He asked, “Any news?”

She responded hesitantly, “He in surgery being stabilized.”

He waited for more information. Secretly, so was Mrs McCall. The school was informed of the accident. In less than an hour, Scott, Lydia, Allison, and Jackson were there. Normally, he would have scolded them for skipping. Today, he knew they were just as worried as he was. To take his mind off of the stress, he fell back on police instincts.

He stated, “Jackson, I was under the impression you and Stiles were more likely to kill each other than anything else.”

Scott chuckled. Jackson said nervously, “We buried the hatchet a couple weeks ago.”

The sheriff said, “Lydia, you haven’t given Stiles the time of day since 3rd grade. When did that change?”

Lydia said, in her almost arrogant voice, “He sat by me when I was injured for a week. This is me repaying my debt.”

The sheriff could see in her eyes she was actually concerned, but naturally didn’t want to show it.

“And you must be Chris’s daughter, Allison,” the sheriff continued. “My son frequently sounds almost jealous of you.”

Scott looked typically confused while Jackson and Lydia snickered. Allison said, “Oh yes, I can imagine him being quite jealous of me stealing his Scott. Not that he would ever, you know, say anything to Scott about wanting bro time.”

Sheriff Stilinski laughed at that comment. Stiles was so much like his mother, always putting other people first.

Scott was texting someone frequently, Jackson seemed to be texting a number of people, Allison was texting someone as well, probably her parents.

So Sheriff, not knowing what else to do, asked, “Jackson, who are you texting?”

Jackson replied, “You’d be amazed at how many people are missing Stiles at school.”

Stilinski replied, “Really?”

Jackson answered, “A number of people are concerned because, in their words, ‘Stiles’ backtalk is the only thing that makes school worth it.’”

The Sheriff burst out laughing. Stiles’ ADHD had combined with typical teen attitude to become something dangerous to the stability of a typical classroom.

The sheriff continued, “Who are you texting Allison, your parents?”

Allison looked surprised by the guess while Lydia was intrigued. Allison responded, “Yes, how’d you know?”

Sheriff Stilinski said, “You are using a greater number of keystrokes than either Allison or Scott. Either you generally text very formally, using completely proper English, or you are texting someone who would disapprove of less proper language. I’ve met your father, so I’m guessing they are a little old fashioned.”

Allison said, “Impressive work. I can see how you became Sheriff.”

The Sheriff said, “Thank you. Who are you texting, Scott?”

Scott nervously shot a look at the others. He stammered, “It’s a long story.”

The Sheriff, rather confused, asked, “Is it Stiles’ secret girlfriend that he sneaks out to see?”

The teens laughed. Scott said, “No, not a girlfriend.”

The sheriff asked, “Is it a boyfriend, because I would be fine with that. Stiles didn’t need to keep it a secret.”

Lydia, Allison, and Jackson laughed. Scott looked horrified. Allison saw his face and asked, “What?”

Scott stated, slightly scared, “The first few times I saw them together, their positions were… they were… I thought he was threatening Stiles, but it could’ve been…”

The Sheriff questioned, “Threatened? Why was Stiles being threatened by this dude?”

Jackson stated, redirecting the question, “Who hasn’t threatened Stiles? Being threatened to death is like eating for Stiles. Largely just to shut him up.”

Sheriff Stilinski accepted that answer. Then he asked, “You never answered the original question. Who are you texting?”

So Scott responded, “If Stiles hasn’t told you about him, I won’t. It is his business to tell you who his friends are. Not mine.”

The Sheriff decided now was not the time to push.

The group waited for several hours for any news. Finally, Mrs McCall came over and said, looking concerned and like she had cried, “He’s stable but… but…”

Scott asked, scared for his best friend, “What’s wrong, Mom? Tell us what’s going on!”

His mother said, “He’s in a coma right now. And even if he wakes up, he probably won’t be able to walk again. His back was broken in several places.” Then she broke down in tears. Stiles had been like a second son to her, since his mother had died.

They went to see Stiles. He looked so broken, so weak. He was never this still, not even when he slept. The Sheriff spent all day with his son, hoping that he would wake up. He was convinced to go home at 9 pm that night by Mrs McCall and Scott.

Derek had been waiting all day for the sheriff’s car to leave. When it finally did, he snuck in to see his young pack member. Scott was still there as he had promised to stay with his friend through the night.

As soon as Derek walked through the door, Scott said, “Turn him. It will save his life.”

Derek said despondently, “It would breach the treaty.”

Scott replied, “Fuck the treaty. He’s pack, and it will save his life.”

Derek said, “Stiles would rather die than break the treaty. He did more for that treaty than anyone will ever realize.”

Scott broke down in tears. He needed Stiles, as much as he needed Allison.

Allison said, “Dad, you need to allow a breach of the treaty, just this once.”

Mr Argent said, “No, the treaty must be enforced, or else it is meaningless. Stiles said no. So he will not be bitten.”

Mrs Argent said, “But honey, I am sure he would consent if he could.”

Chris Argent replied, “But we can’t know that. So it will not happen. The treaty stands, or Derek dies.” He then left the room, signalling the discussion was closed.

Victoria Argent said, “The treaty stands. Humph.” She went into her files and pulled something out. It was a copy of the treaty. Allison’s mom then said, “I’m not giving you this with explicit instructions to have Lydia read it back to front to find some loophole. I’m giving this to you so you can be fully apprised of all the intricacies of the treaty so you can better fulfil your duties as Argent-Hale liaison.”

Allison said, “Thanks mom. I’m not going to go read this treaty back to front to find a loophole. I’m going to go study with Lydia, staying overnight, so we can study for a test tomorrow.”

Mrs Argent said, “Good. Drive safe, and see you tomorrow afternoon.”

Allison left to go to Lydia’s. Lydia was ecstatic to get to read such a complex (sort of) legal document in an attempt to find a loophole.

Allison said to Lydia, hours later, “Found anything?”

Lydia said, “The first 5 pages are about decreasing the number of hunters as months pass, eventually leaving only you and your parents in town. The hunters must have had a lawyer write this up.”

Then Allison, who had read the second set of five pages, said, “Wait, look at these. Can you find a definition of consent in this?”

Lydia looked for several minutes, scanning for every instance of the word “consent”.

She finally said, “No. Wait a minute…” She ran to her computer to find something. After a couple of minutes, “If we argue that this is a matter of medical consent, Stiles no longer has the ability to communicate his intentions. That means that, as a minor, his medical power of attorney is transferred to his father.”

Allison said, “Write down that in legalese, so I can take it to my father.”

Stiles had not improved at all by the next day. Allison only barely paid attention in class that day. Making an argument for this was terrifying. Her father was not going to be happy.

Allison walked straight up to her father and said, “The pack has petitioned your decision to not allow the bite to Stiles.”

Mr Argent replied, “Have they? My decision stands.”

Allison stated, “They would like to direct your attention to Articles 37-54 of the treaty.”

Mr Argent looked interested at where this discussion was going. He pulled out his copy of the treaty. “Please continue the pack’s petition.”

Allison pulled out a notecard from her pocket. She read, “In the treaty, you used the word ‘consent’ in context of receiving the bite, 17 times. But not once did you define what you meant by consent.”

Mr Argent stated, “The lawyers stated that ‘consent’ was clear enough without any clarification.”

Allison continued, “The pack would argue that in this case, the bite is acting as a medical procedure.”

Chris Argent said, “I will consent, for the sake of argument, to that point of view.”

The Argent-Hale liaison stated, “As such, Stiles, since he is unconscious, no longer has the ability to consent to any procedure.”

Mr Argent said, not quite seeing where this was going, “Okay.”

Allison said, “As he is a minor, his medical power of attorney now rests with his father.”

Mr Argent suddenly understood, and asked, “Are you… I mean, is the pack suggesting that we fully disclose the situation to the sheriff and allow him to decide whether or not to inflict the bite on Stiles?”

Allison said, “Yes.”

Mr Argent thought for a minute. He was of the opinion that the parents should be informed any way. Allison knew this. She was utilizing that position to attempt to sway his opinion. So he said, “If the pack is treating it as a medical procedure, a medical professional must also consent to the procedure.”

Allison looked crestfallen. Even though officially the pack had prepared this petition, Chris knew that this was Allison’s and Lydia’s work. He was willing to bet Derek didn’t even know about this petition. So he continued, “I think an appropriate medical professional would be Melissa McCall.”

Allison dropping the liaison attitude, said, “So, this is going to be left up to Scott, essentially. I’m going to go inform the pack of your decision.”

She went upstairs and started texting.

To: Scott

Is Sher w/ Stiles?

From: Scott

Yea

To: Derek

Call pack meeting. Re: Stiles.

To: Lydia

Conditional yes. More info @ meeting.

From: Derek. To: Pack (Scott, Lydia, Allison, Jackson, ~~Stiles~~ )

Meeting at House ASAP. Re: Stiles

Allison got up and left to go to Hale House. As soon as the pack was assembled, she said, “Lydia and I found a loophole in the treaty, which I have already argued to my father and he has agreed.”

Scott said, “So Derek can go bite Stiles? Why are we still talking?”

Allison said, nervously, “The loophole is sort of complicated. If you want the legal jargon, talk to Lydia. But what it boils down to is we have to get both Sheriff Stilinski and Mrs McCall to agree.”

Derek said, “I may be Alpha, but this will not be my decision to make. I will not force you to tell your mom, Scott.”

Scott said, “So either I tell my mom and Mr Stilinski, or I may never get my best friend back.” He thought for several moments then said, “I’m telling them.”

Scott convinced his mom and Sheriff Stilinski to meet him in Stiles’ Hospital room. He was nervous as all get out.

As soon as his mom got there, he asked, “Would you know when a nurse is next coming by?”

His mom checked and said, “At least half an hour. Why?”

Scott said, “We need to talk, the three of us about Stiles.”

The Sheriff said, “Whatever it is, just say it.”

Scott said, “Please don’t freak out.” Before either of the parents could say anything, Scott transformed.

Mrs McCall gasped. Sheriff Stilinski put his hand on his gun. Scott returned to his human form and said, “I’m sort of a werewolf.”

The Sheriff asked, “How long have you been like this? Is Stiles as well? What does this have to do with Stiles? Why are you telling us this? Are you connected to all of those animal attacks?”

Scott chuckled and said, “Now I know where the babbling comes from.” Then he continued more seriously, “I’ve been a werewolf since that night with half a body. When you caught Stiles and didn’t catch me. Stiles is not a werewolf, though he is pack. I’ll explain that later. I was not responsible for any of the animal attacks.”

Mrs McCall asked sincerely, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Scott replied, “Oh yeah, that would have gone well. ‘Hey Mom, I’m a mythological creature, thought you’d like to know.’”

The parents chuckled lightly. Scott said, “The reason I’m telling you now is because there is a good chance that, if we turn Stiles, he would heal.”

Mrs McCall said, “Why are you asking at all? You have been doing stuff without either of us knowing for years.”

Scott said, “My Pack has a treaty with Argents that, among other things, prevents us from turning people without full consent.”

The sheriff asked, “What are the Argents, vampires?”

Scott laughed and said seriously, “No, they are werewolf hunters, have been forever.”

Mrs McCall said, “They are the silver that kills werewolves, aren’t they? Their name means silver.”

Scott said, “Yeah. You know French?”

Mrs McCall responded, “Latin. Close enough for the connection to be made.”

The Sheriff said, “Back to werewolf stuff, please.” He paused and said, “Argents hunt werewolves. The Hales must have been werewolves!”

Scott said, “Yes, but they didn’t kill anyone, at least, not before the fire. Peter Hale went mad after the fire. He started killing everyone connected to the fire. He’s the one who bit me.”

Mrs McCall asked, “What happened to Peter?”

Scott shifted uncomfortably and said, “Me, Jackson, Stiles, Allison, Mr Argent, and Derek Hale ki…put him down.” He could not bring himself to say “killed”.

The Sheriff said, “I understand you had to. You should have called me. I would’ve helped.”

Scott said, “Stiles wanted to protect you from the supernatural.”

The Sheriff thought Stiles was so much like his mother, always putting other people first, trying to protect them.

Then the Sheriff said, “Wait, Derek Hale? Is that who you were texting the other day? Him? You think he and Stiles are in a relationship?”

Scott said, “I doubt the relationship, but I was texting him. He’s the Alpha, the leader of the pack.”

Sheriff Stilinski said, “You’ve been talking to someone who… wait, Peter was the one who did all that stuff, not Derek right?”

Scott said, “Yea, all Peter. Well, except for Kate Argent. But she tried to kill him, and breached the Code.”

The Sheriff asked, “The Code?”

Scott said, “The Code is the rules that the Hunters follow. The basis of The Code is that they ‘hunt those who hunt them’. It’s also the basis of the treaty with them. We won’t hurt humans, they won’t hurt us.”

Sheriff said, “You can bite him if it will save him.”

Scott said, “Oh, I can’t turn him. Only the Alpha has that ability.”

Sheriff said, “Call him. He can do it.”

Scott said, “He didn’t want to rush your decision. He’s waiting until tomorrow for your decision. Mom, you are going to also have to approve of the procedure. Plus, you guys need to hear the risks.”

Mrs McCall asked, “Risks?”

Scott said, “If Stiles’ research and Lydia’s math is correct, which I’m willing to bet it is, Stiles has about a 62% chance of successful infection.”

Mrs McCall said, “What is does failure mean?”

Scott said, nervously, “29% chance of death and 9% chance of something else entirely, something that we can’t really predict.”

Mrs McCall, in full nurse mode, said, “71% survival rate. Not excellent but…”

The Sheriff said, “But what?”

Mrs McCall said, “The doctors say he only has about a 25% chance of waking up at all right now. They weren’t going to tell you until the end of the week, when his chances go down even further.”

Scott then said, “Then there are the dangers of the full moon. We don’t have full control of ourselves during the full moon. We are easily provoked, short-tempered, and then we sort of have to change that night.”

Mrs McCall said, “So, you guys have a period, a violent period, but a period none the less.”

Scott chuckled at the comparison, and said, “I guess.”

Sheriff said, “What is your opinion, Melissa?”

Scott’s mother said, “I would say that this ‘procedure’ has potential. I would recommend it as it is the only real treatment option.”

Stiles’ father said, “I’ll think about it tonight. I’ll give my answer in the morning.”

Sheriff Stilinski was in quite a state that night. So he was really not in the mood when he heard a knock on the door. He opened it to find Derek Hale.

The sheriff begrudgingly let him in.

The Sheriff said, “Scott told me pretty much everything. The rest was contained in the research upstairs. I found it impressive how much not porn I found on his computer.”

Derek did something that was almost a smile. The sheriff could see that the man… _werewolf_ …was still deeply affected by the loss of his family a decade ago.

Then Derek said, “Scott… well, he may be in my pack, and he may be a good kid, but he still has issues seeing the bite as a gift. He would rather be typical than be a werewolf.”

The Sheriff responded, “There is no such thing as a free lunch. The power you have has its own weaknesses. The blessing is a curse and the curse is a blessing. Neither is wrong, but neither is right. You have never been human, so seeing the darkness first doesn’t make sense to you.”

Derek tilted his head and said, “You see things in a unique way, much like Stiles.”

The Sheriff said, “Do you know about Scott’s family?”

Derek said, “I know he doesn’t talk about his dad.”

The Sheriff said, “His _father_ is a jerk. His mom has had bad luck with relationships. Every time Scott’s mom got something big without any work, it went bad. Way bad. So, whenever good things happen to Scott, he waits for the disaster. So yeah, he got good at lacrosse suddenly, but then he became something that goes bump in the night. He’s gotten to the place where he would rather have nothing spontaneous good happen just so the shoe won’t drop. “

Derek asked, “How bad is his father?”

The sheriff said, “Since Melissa kicked him out, 12 years ago, he hasn’t come back once. Scott probably only thinks of him slightly fonder then he does his sire Peter.”

Derek said, changing the topic, “Stiles is a good kid. He has saved my life more than once. He helped Scott deal with the whole wolf thing, even at the risk of his own life. He’s in the pack because I want him there. Everyone else are wolves, except Allison, whose there because Scott and her are dangerously in love.”

Sheriff Stilinski said sternly, “What are your intentions towards my son?”

Derek did that almost smile again and said, “I heard about that conversation. I realize now that my threats were a bit excessive and could be construed as something else entirely from the outside. On a good day my feelings towards him are brotherly.”

The Sheriff dared to ask, “On a bad day?”

The Alpha responded, with a slight smile, “Chloroform has crossed my mind.”

The Sheriff chuckled. Shutting Stiles up was a skill. He asked, “So, if I allow the bite, you will have some level of control over him, right?”

Derek said, “Honestly, I doubt it. My Uncle could only really control Scott for a short period. And Scott is nowhere near as strong as Stiles.”

The Sheriff felt a small amount of pride well up at someone telling him how strong his son was. Most of the time it was that Stiles was annoying, or couldn’t focus, or not living up to his potential.

They spoke for a few more minutes and then Derek left. The Sheriff felt a little better after that about the bite itself.

Sheriff Stilinski had decided by the next morning. He called Scott and said, “Have it arranged for 4:30 this afternoon.”

Scott said, “Yes, sir.”

At 4:17, he walked into his son’s room. It was quiet. They had had to put in a feeding tube earlier. He said, “Stiles, I am going to save you. Please do this for me. Please make it through. You know I can’t handle it without either of you. Please don’t hate me for the decision I made.”

At 4:21, Mrs McCall came in. She silently stood there, waiting.

At 4:26, Derek came in and said gruffly, “Argent’s coming to double check the full disclosure.” He obviously didn’t like Chris.

At 4:29, Chris Argent came in. He asked, “So they gave you all the information?”

Melissa said, “Yes, Chris. Scott told us everything.”

Mr Argent questioned, “Wolfsbane, death chance, everything?”

The two parents said simultaneously, “Yes.”

Then the Sheriff said, “Go ahead, Derek.”

Derek transformed, pulled off the covers, and gingerly bit Stiles’ abdomen. He then covered up the boy and waited.

The Sheriff asked, “How long ‘til we know?”

Derek replied, “Tomorrow at the earliest.”

The other adults left the Stilinskis alone. After a couple of hours, Derek came back and said, “Even when the bite takes, it will be a while. It took my uncle years to heal from the fire. Stiles has massive internal injuries, head trauma, damaged spinal cord, and a broken back. It will take a long time to heal.”

The Sheriff asked, “How long do you think?”

Derek said, “From Stiles, a month. He will be fine. He just needs time.”

At that moment, he felt something touch at the edge of his mind, just out of reach. He smiled slightly and said, “It was successful. I can sort of feel him.” It was the first time he felt the pack consciously. He focused on the feelings and felt that Lydia was studying, Jackson was doing homework, and Allison and Scott were making out. He visibly shuddered as he withdrew from the pack. Stiles was just there, though. No emotion. No feeling what so ever.

The Sheriff asked, “What do you mean you can feel him? And what made you shudder?”

Derek said, “New Alpha ability. I can feel them. Know what they are doing. I now feel like a creepy stalker.”

The sheriff chuckled softly. Derek left him in peace.


	2. Discussions with Stiles (Coma Talks on fanfiction.net)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles is in a coma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you say to someone who doesn’t talk back?

As soon as they knew the bite took, and Stiles would survive, someone was with him as much as possible. During the school day, Derek or Sheriff Stilinski was there waiting with him. During the evenings, Allison, Scott, Lydia, or Jackson were there.  Mrs McCall requested a department transfer so that she could always be near if he woke up.

Each one came alone. And, at first, they would just sit. Then they started talking.

* * *

 

Scott (3 days after bite)

“Hey Stiles, life’s been quiet without you. I think even Mr Harris is beginning to miss you. He seems bored without you to argue with daily. “

“Do you remember when we were little and we would sleepover at each other’s house, but try to stay up all night? We would talk until like 2 am, and then we would both just collapse on the bed. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy lately. I’ll try to make more time when you get up. How about we do that werewolf movie marathon you’ve been talking about. Mock all of them for their inaccuracies.”

“I need you to get better, man. I know we have other friends now, but you have always been my best friend.”

* * *

 

Allison (8 days after bite)

“Hi, Stiles, you won’t believe how much Scott misses you. You’re just about the only thing he talks about any more. I wonder if that’s why you got so annoyed about me. Did he never shut up about me? Why do I suspect that’s exactly what happened?”

“But really, I think the two of us are just about all Scott really care about, maybe his mom, too.”

“He wanted to have you bitten right away, with no concern for the treaty. That means he might just care for you more than me. I might just be jealous.”

“I think Lydia is beginning to miss you, too. And a lot more than just being pack. I think she’s realizing how present you’ve been, how consistently nice. Always there if she needed you.”

* * *

 

Jackson (10 days after bite)

“Lydia sorta told me I had to talk to you; something to do with coma patients responding well to it or something.”

“I’m sorry for how mean I’ve always been to you. The first time I met you, my parents had just told me I was adopted, and then you tried to be nice to me, but I wasn’t in the mood for it. And then you totally wouldn’t shut up. So I yelled at you and made you run away. Later I found out that you were so hurt because I said something mean about your mother, and she had just died.”

“You should know that I’m pretty sure Lydia is into you now. And you know what, I’m fine with that. I never really liked Lydia. I mean, underneath the hard shell is a nice girl, but I’m not into her like that. I sort of don’t like girls at all. I’m pretty sure I’m gay. And I have a crush on Danny.”

* * *

 

Derek (14 days after bite)

“Stiles, the pack needs you. None of us can cook half as well as you do. Where did you learn to cook so well?”

“Even pack meetings are empty without you. They are all so worried about you. I have to force them to do their homework.”

“Do you remember the first time we did a dog pile nap? You almost walked away before I told you it was pack bonding. Then you said, ’I’m not a wolf, or a mate. I don’t belong there.’ I told you then and there that you were pack; you had done too much to form the pack for you not to be pack. You joined in on the edge.”

“Do you remember the second dog pile? You fell asleep on the couch. I carried you to the bed, and then the pack slept around you. When we woke up, you were so out of it. Apparently the calming effect of the dog pile was too much for a human to be at the very center of.”

“Actually, I remember something similar happening to a baby cousin of mine, no more than 6 at the time. Sometimes werewolves have human children. He was one of those. We had started a pile, but he crawled to the dead center of our much larger pack. He was so serene for 2 days.”

“I did some looking into your family. Your maternal grandmother was the human sister of my paternal grandfather. You are actually my cousin. How do you manage to do that? Be right without even meaning to.”

“I suspect you will end up being second in command when you wake up. You had a fragment of the wolf in you before. All humans descended from werewolves do. It’s the reason why we never turned the human kids. Too much wolf would come out. But you, being 3 generations removed from your last werewolf relative, have just enough to make you more powerful, and to increase your odds of survival.”

* * *

 

Sheriff Stilinski (17 days after bite)

“Hey, son, the doctors say you’re healing spectacularly.”

“I really hope you understand why I did what I did, why I decided to let them turn you.”

“Your mother would be so proud of you. You have been stronger than any one would ever imagine.”

“I need my little boy home. The house is always so empty now.”

* * *

 

Mrs McCall (20 days after bite)

“Hey, Buddy, everyone is so worried about you. I know you’ll be just fine, though. You always are.”

“I’ve watched you and Scott be there for each other all the time. More often than not, you were there for him. Apparently, you’ve even been there for him through this werewolf madness. “

“I watched you be strong after your mother passed. You knew you needed to be strong for your father. Be strong now. Wake up for all of us.”

On the night of the full moon, Jackson called in a favour and asked Danny to sit with Stiles for the night.

* * *

 

Danny (22 days after bite)

“Hey, man I know we never really talk, but here I am. Jackson said that he had something to do tonight, as did all your other friends. You know their secret, don’t you?”

“Two months ago, Jackson wouldn’t be caught dead with you. Now he spends more time with you than he does with me. I mean, even before the accident.”

“Once you asked me if I found you attractive. You were a bit gangly for my tastes, but what’s on the outside hardly matters. You are loyal, even when people treat you like crap. You forgive people, no matter what they’ve done to you. You’re smarter than people give you credit for. You’re brave, if what Jackson told me about that night at school is true.”

“You are a great person, no matter how few people see it. Jackson seems to believe you’re gonna get up soon. That’s weird for him, cause he usually is doom and gloom, worst possible case. This means that whatever his secret is, you are in on it too. Maybe one day he’ll trust me enough to tell me.”

* * *

 

Stiles (Outside of normal time continuum)

Stiles was somewhere weird. It was empty, but not a white empty or a black empty. It was an empty empty, which made no sense, but yet there it was.

Then a woman Stiles so dearly missed came towards him: his mother.

So he asked, “Mommy? Am I dead? Is this Heaven? Please tell me this isn’t Heaven. But that would mean this was Hell. I don’t want this to be Hell either. Where are we?”

His mother gently said, “You are in between life and the afterlife.”

Stiles said, “So, Purgatory?”

His mother laughed and said, “You can think of it like that. But you aren’t dead. You are in a coma, but you’re healing.”

 Stiles accepted that and said, sadly, “I’m sorry for what I’ve done. I’m not even sure I should go back.”

Mrs Stilinski said, “You have had to do things no 16 year old should have to do, made decisions that your father would have difficulty making. You did what was necessary to protect yourself and your friends. Peter crossed the lines trying to get revenge. You did the right thing. The Hales on the other side were quite upset with what Peter was doing in their name.”

Stiles said, “You taught me that all life was sacred.”

Stiles’ mom said, “It is, but sometimes it has to be destroyed to protect all people. I got to glimpse what would have happened if Peter had not been killed. It got worse, much worse. You did what you had to, which makes you a strong person.”

Stiles said, “Not as strong as Scott.”

His mother said, “You were always just as strong as Scott. You were not the Robin to Scott’s Batman. You were the Batman to Scott’s Superman. You were a man fighting the supernatural’s fight.”

Stiles said, “What’s going to happen when I get back?”

Mrs Stilinski answered, “You are going to have an amazing year. Now remember, I will always love you and your father. And I will always be there for both of you, just not visibly. And please get your father in a relationship. He deserves to be happy too.”

Then his favourite woman ever faded into nothingness.

* * *

 

Lydia (33 days after bite)

“Stiles, you need to wake up. You can’t keep us waiting like this forever. I need you because you are the only one in the pack who is smart enough to keep up with me. You might even be smarter, if you actually applied yourself.”

“Stiles, I need you to be there again, like you’ve always been. You’ve been waiting for me to notice you since elementary school. You know what? I think I did. I remember when you spilled milk on a kid in 3rd grade for talking about my parents’ divorce. I remember when you punched a kid for knocking me over on purpose in 5th grade. I remember you sending me a Valentine’s in 7th grade. I remember you taking notes for me after I had my appendectomy in 8th grade. You have been waiting for me forever. Now I’m waiting for you.”

“I miss your babble. I miss your snarky attitude toward teachers. I miss your cookies, and your dinners. I miss it all.”

“I love you, damn it. I think I’ve finally fallen for you.” She then got up and kissed Stiles’ forehead.

Stiles’ eyes fluttered open.

Lydia yelled, “Mrs McCall!”

Scott’s mom came running in. She saw Stiles’ open eyes. He was looking around. He then gestured to the ventilator tube in his mouth. Then his eyes drifted close. Lydia looked terrified. Mrs McCall said, “That is to be expected. He will slowly be able to stay awake longer each time. I suggest you tell Derek immediately. I’m calling the Sheriff.”

Lydia called Derek immediately. Derek answered, “Yes, Lydia?”

Lydia said excitedly, “Stiles woke up for a minute. He went back to sleep almost immediately, but he was sort of aware. Mrs McCall said it was normal.”

Derek said, “I’ll tell the pack.”

He hung up. A text came in shortly.

From: Derek To: Pack (Scott, Lydia, Allison, Jackson, ~~Stiles~~ )

Stiles woke briefly. Will come n & out 4 @ least nxt wk.

To: Lydia From: Allison

Wat n HELL did u say 2 wake him up?

To: Allison From: Lydia

Xactly wat he has ben waitn 4. Thn kissd him on 4head.

To: Lydia From: Scott

Plz tell me u ment it.

To: Scott From: Lydia

Yes I ment it. I luv him.

By then the Sheriff came in. He said, “He really woke up?”

Lydia nodded her head.

* * *

 

The next day, a Saturday, the whole pack went into the room together. The breathing tube had been removed, as it appeared his breathing had stabilized.

Stiles’s eyes fluttered open after they had waited about an hour. He said, in a hoarse voice, “Can I have some water?”

Scott got up to ask a nurse of a cup of water. He came back with one. Lydia helped him drink it slowly (his arms, even though he was a werewolf, were a bit weak from not moving at all.).

Scott asked, “How do you feel?”

Stiles said, “Oddly like I tried to fight a tree and the tree won.”

The pack snickered at that. He then yawned and drifted back to sleep. He did that for the better part of the day, just drifting in and out of sleep.

That night, the Sheriff waited for Stiles to wake up. When he finally did the father said, “Hey, son, did you sleep well?”

Stiles said, “Yes, though these naps are sort of annoying, never can get to the good part of the conversation.”

The Sheriff chuckled and said, “Well, it’s amazing to hear your voice again, even for a little while.”

Stiles said, “Just wait, in a couple of days, people will be yelling for me to shut up again.”

The overjoyed father said, “You wouldn’t be you if people weren’t telling you to shut up.”

Stiles responded, “Touché. Dad, have you been eating healthy while I was away?”

Sheriff Stilinski said, “You make it sound as if you’ve been on vacation. Is hospital food at least twice a day healthy enough for you?”

Stiles said, “I’m so sorry, hospital food all the time? I pity your stomach. Though, yours isn’t the one with a hole in it.”

The sheriff said, “The doctor said that if you can stay awake for an hour straight tomorrow your tube will be removed.”

Stiles said, “Can I just have my Adderall to stay awake?”

The sheriff said, “Not until you can stay up for 8 hours by yourself. Doctor’s orders.”

As Stiles’ eyes started drifting close, he said half asleep, “Mommy sends her love.”

Mr Stilinski sits straight up at that. It was only 9:30 pm, so he calls the McCall residence. The phone was answered with, “McCall Residence, Scott Speaking.”

The Sheriff responded, “Hey Scott, Can I speak with your mom?”

He said, “Sure.” Then, slightly muffled, “MOM, ITS FOR YOU!”

After a minute, Melissa answered the phone. She said, “Hello?”

He said, “Hey. I wanted to ask you about something Stiles said as he fell asleep.”

She replied, “Ask away.”

The Sheriff said, “As he was drifting asleep, he said ‘Mommy sends her love.’”

Melissa McCall said, “Last year, I would have said it was a memory fragment from years ago. But now, with everything I’ve found out… I can’t be sure he didn’t talk to his mother while in the coma.”

The Sheriff asked, “You believe he might have?”

Mrs McCall said, “From a supernatural point of view he wasn’t here. He could have been on the other side. Or closer to there than here. I can’t be sure of anything anymore.”

* * *

 

The next day, Stiles awoke to see Derek. It was evidently morning.

Derek said, “Hey Stiles, how are you healing?”

Stiles said, “Pretty good. All that sleep must be doing me good.”

Derek said, “I… you… I turned you.”

Stiles said, “Without consent! Argent’s going to kill you. Then I will resurrect you so I can kill you. Then maybe resurrect you again so Argent can kill you again. I’m thankful and all, but you broke the treaty. You know how much blackmail went into getting him to agree to make a treaty! I managed to connect him to 27 unsolved murders. All of which were preceded by wild animal attacks, but that’s beside the point. I worked hard to make that treaty, as did you. And you throw it all away to save me! I’m flattered, but very upset.”

Derek smiled slightly, and said, “The whole pack missed the babble. Now, what we did is found a loophole in the treaty, or at least, Lydia and Allison did. But you are still going to be upset about the next part.”

Stiles said, very sternly, “What did you do?”

Derek felt nervous. Hell, when was the last time he felt nervous. He was an Alpha. Damn, that wolf in Stiles was powerful. He said, “We managed to argue that it was a medical procedure…”

Stiles said, connecting the dots in his head, “You told my father! I wanted him out of this madness. I wanted to protect him. Who else did you tell? Mrs McCall?”

Derek said, “Yes.”

Stiles said, “What the hell, man. Did you tell the Whittemores? The Martins?”

Derek said, “No. I got consent from your father, and Mrs McCall acting as a medical professional to approve the procedure. It was Scott’s decision whether or not to tell them.”

Derek then realized that Stiles had changed due to his anger, his eyes flashing bright blue, like his used to. Derek said, “Calm down Stiles. You’ve gone a bit furry.”

Stiles laughed, his features melting back to human. “Since when do you joke?”

Derek said, “Jackson started it. If one of us changed when we didn’t mean to, he would say, ‘You’ve gone a bit furry.’ It was so funny that whatever was wrong was laughed off. So wolfing out is now going furry.”

Stiles said, “How bad has the pack been?”

Derek said, “Not bad, just on edge. Someone slept here every night. From what I can tell, rarely did the ones not here sleep alone. Speaking of which, do you remember what woke you up the first time?”

He said, “I have a vague recollection of Lydia kissing my forehead.”

They spoke for over an hour. Then Stiles drifted back to sleep. But not before saying, “See you later, cuz.”

Derek’s eyes widened. He prepared to text the pack.

To: Pack (Scott, Lydia, Allison, Jackson, Stiles) From: Derek

I hope no 1 said anythng private 2 Stiles while comatose. He remembers.

To: Derek From: Jackson

Plz tell me uv developed a sense of humor

To: Jackson From: Derek

No

* * *

 

Later that day, Stiles ate for the first time. His dad came to eat with him.

Stiles said, “Dad, we have a problem.”

The Sheriff responded, “What?”

Stiles said, “My new metabolism is going to burn through any Adderall given. Werewolves are not affected by any chemical except wolfsbane. Which is deadly. So that’s bad. And totally not an option to control my ADHD. So, what are we going to do?”

Sheriff Stilinski said, “We’ll figure something out. Or I’ll call Lydia for her to figure it out. Today, you just eat so you can get that tube pulled out.”

Stiles said, “When can I get the skewer in my wiener removed?”

The single father coughed the water he was drinking up his nose. He asked, “Did you really have to say it like that?”

 Stiles said, “Yes.”

The parent said, “The catheter will be removed as soon as believe you would wake up to go to the bathroom.”

Stiles said, “You know, people say the funniest things to people who aren’t supposed to be able to listen.”

The elder Stilinski said, “You remember some of what people said to you while you were in the coma?”

Stiles giggled and said, “Yep. Like Derek found out I’m his cousin. Derek is surprisingly chatty when no one is supposed to be listening. Scott wouldn’t shut up about me while I was out cold. Scott finally realized that we need to spend time together on occasion. Lydia loves me. Danny totally feels left out by Jackson. And Jackson is… totally going to be kept a secret.”

The Sheriff asked, “Did you stop a babble? And figure out what belonged in a secrets box while in a babble?”

Stiles said, “I guess I did. Huh. Well, some secrets belong to be secrets.”

The Sheriff said, “Oh yes, though it isn’t a good idea to keep major life altering events from your father. Especially since it would have explained why you were at half the crime scenes during the disaster with Peter.”

Stiles visibly shivered. He said, “I understand where you’re coming from. But not knowing kept you from being involved in the supernatural stuff. And please, please don’t say that name.”

Mr Stilinski realized now how bad Peter was for Stiles. He should have realized Stiles wasn’t sleeping. Actually, he did realize. He just thought it was whatever beast that attacked Lydia bothering him. Which it was, just not in the way he thought.

Stiles stayed up for 3 hours that time. Then Mrs McCall came to pull out the feeding tube. The former hole sealed up almost instantly.

Stiles said, “That is so cool.”

The Sheriff asked, half joking, “Am I too old to turn?”

Stiles said, “My research indicated that chances of successful infection decreased by 3 percent every year over 21. Your chance of survival would be next to zilch.”

The Sheriff responded by mock pouting. Then he smiled.

* * *

 

The next day, the catheter was removed, to Stiles’ chagrin.

Lydia came by that day. Stiles asked, “Um… whenIgetoutdoyouwannagoonadate? Maybeamovieordinnerorboth? Ordidyouonlysaythattowakemeup? Please,please,pleasetellmeyouwereserious.”

Lydia was amused by how fast Stiles babbled. She said, “Of course I meant it. But, no date until you catch up on your schoolwork.”

Stiles said, “Ah, man. I have like a million years’ worth of homework. We’ll never go on a date.”

Lydia said, “How about this, we have a study date weekend: just you, me, and 5 weeks’ worth of notes.”

Stiles said, “I get Lydia Martin all to myself for an entire weekend? Sign me up!”

Lydia laughed.

Then Stiles asked, “Has my Dad asked you about my new metabolism issue?”

Lydia asked, “No. What’s wrong?”

Stiles said, “Adderall and speed healing don’t play well, or so I’m pretty sure.”

Lydia looked horrified. She said, “I remember the last time you forgot your medicine, Great Cornholio.”

Stiles defended, “It was a Bevis and Butthead reference.”

Lydia retorted, “Did that require you to shout it at the top of your lungs in the lunch room while stuffing candy in your pants?”

Stiles said, as if it explained everything, “I had candy for my Bunghole.”

Lydia just shook her head. Then she said, “I’ll look through the research. Maybe I can find a solution that does not call for an IV drip of Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine.”

Stiles was released a few days later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stiles/Lydia. I’m a sucker for unrequited love. Next up, studying and Jackson realizing he’s an idiot.


End file.
